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City Jail
City Jail is a jail in Manhattan where the Ghostbusters were held temporarily during the first Gozer incident. History Primary Canon History In 1984, the Ghostbusters were arrested and taken to a jail after Walter Peck had the Containment Unit shutdown, causing an explosion beneath the Firehouse and releasing all captured ghosts. Peck had the Ghostbusters arrested on the premise they were in criminal violation of the Environmental Protection Act, and the explosion was a direct result of it. After a brief scuffle with Peck, the Ghostbusters were incarcerated at a jail somewhere in Manhattan. Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz went over the 550 Central Park West blueprints and realized its connection with Gozer, the Cult of Gozer, and Ivo Shandor. Winston Zeddemore was skeptical anyone would believe them and admitted he would hire his own lawyer. Luckily, the Jail Guard freed the Ghostbusters because Mayor Lenny wanted to see them about the outbreak of paranormal activity. Secondary Canon History After capturing the Jail Jaw Ghost, Janine Melnitz's team was arrested and held at the City Jail. Their stay was brief as Walter Peck had them released as part of his solution to the growing ghost problem. Filming Location Mystery The filming location for the City Jail remains unconfirmed and unidentified. Don Shay's informal map of film locations, shown on page 26 of Making Ghostbusters, posits it to be above Little Italy and North Moore Street where the Firehouse is, north of Canal Street, and situated somewhere between the Bowery and Broadway with Chinatown as beneath Little Italy, with both beneath Canal Street. Compared to a formal map, Chinatown straddles the north and south sides of Canal Street, with Little Italy directly above Chinatown. Shay's map suggests the prison is located roughly in the location north of Canal but South of Spring, between Broadway and the Bowery. On page 151, a foot note confirms the "incarceration scene was shot on location at an actual New York prison facility now 1984-5 when book was written out of commission and essentially abandoned." Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 151 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "The incarceration scene was shot lon location at an actual New York prison facility, now out of commission and essentially abandoned." In the Ghostbusters commentary, Harold Ramis said the prison facility was out of commission actual jail and somewhere in Lower Manhattan and in the middle of 14th Street. Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters - Commmentary (1984) (DVD ts. 1:10:44-46, 1:11:07-12). Time Life Entertainment. Harold says: "This is a jail in Lower Manhattan...No, it was in the middle of 14th Street or something." Joe Medjuck (2005). Ghostbusters - Commmentary (1984) (DVD ts. 1:11:01-05). Time Life Entertainment. Joe says: "Yes, this was a real jail, deserted I believe." At the end of an anecdote, Ivan Reitman commented it was a police station. Ivan Reitman (2005). Ghostbusters - Commmentary (1984) (DVD ts. 1:13:23-27). Time Life Entertainment. Ivan says: "Yeah, well, it was a police station. Things can get out of control." Dan Aykroyd once noted, "It was dark and very crowded, with low ceilings and dirt everywhere." Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 151 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Joe Medjuck says: "The lock-up was just a terrible place to shoot. It was dark and very crowded, with low ceilings and dirt everywhere. Dan Aykroyd said, when we were shooting there, 'If there are ghosts anywhere, they would be here.' And he was right - it had a very eerie feeling to it." While not confirming the exact location, in the inlay booklet of the Ghostbusters 1 & 2 Gift Set (2014) on page three of "The Story of Ghostbusters," one of the shooting locations briefly mentioned is 'the old New York Police Department lock-up.' Two candidates for the jail's filming location are The Tombs and the defunct New York Police Department headquarters on 240 Centre Street. Part of The Tombs was closed in 1974 for security and health reasons then demolished and replaced. The rest of the building, located on 100 Centre Street, was remodeled by 1983. Ghostbusters filmed in November 1983 in New York however the location does not match Shay's map entirely. The old NYPD Headquarters building was vacated in 1973, and did have jail cells. Its location does match the range of Shay's map better than The Tomb. Trivia *Dan Aykroyd claimed the jail was haunted and the film got scratched but luckily the crew was able cut around it so no reshoots were needed. Joe Medjuck (2005). Ghostbusters - Commmentary (1984) (DVD ts. 1:11:13-17). Time Life Entertainment. Joe says: "Danny claimed it was haunted and the film got scratched we had to cut around." Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 151 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Joe Medjuck says: "Dan Aykroyd said, when we were shooting there, 'If there are ghosts anywhere, they would be here.' And he was right - it had a very eerie feeling to it. Later, we discovered scratches in the film that was shot that day, and were were all afraid we'd have to go back there to redo the scene. Fortunately, Shelley Kahn was able to work around the scratches in editing and the reshoot wasn't necessary." *Ivan Reitman fired an extra during the prison filming. Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 1:13:12-1:11:15). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Harold Ramis says: "Ivan, you fired an extra on this day, do you remember that? " Ivan Reitman (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 1:13:16-1:13:19). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Ivan Reitman says: "Some guy mouthing off... 'You, out and never come back'. " Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 1:13:20-1:13:23). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Harold Ramis says: "And he thought you were kidding and you said 'No, get out'. " Appearances Primary Canon *'Ghostbusters' **Chapter 22: Holding Cell Secondary Canon IDW Comics *Ongoing Series **Volume 2 ***Issue #1 References Gallery Overall Primary Canon GB1film2005chapter22sc003.png GB1film2005chapter22sc015.png GB1film2005chapter22sc021.png GB1film2005chapter22sc023.png GB1film2005chapter22sc025.png GB1film2005chapter22sc026.png Secondary Canon CityPrisonIDW01.jpg|As seen in Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1 Non Canon CityJailProduction01.jpg|Dan Aykroyd at the set Category:Locations Category:GB1 Locations Category:IDW Locations